Features

“Going green” is a common mantra for many businesses. Saving the planet is an admirable and worthy goal; however, in their rush to go green, many business owners may be overlooking an area that is rarely associated with the green movement: insurance.

The Georgia Public Service Commission will face an unprecedented number of major proceedings and rate cases in 2019, beginning with the filing of Georgia Power Company’s Integrated Resource Plan on January 31st.

Do Georgia businesses understand the great mutual value gained from corporate generosity? I wonder this frequently. It’s the reason I felt compelled to join with other Georgia business leaders in the goBeyondProfit initiative, banding together in virtual alignment around the value and importance of finding ways to give back beyond our daily business efforts.

goBeyondProfit, a not-for-profit initiative encouraging all Georgia businesses to prioritize community engagement, is conducting statewide corporate trend research in partnership with Georgia CEO. The survey will wrap up this week.

Passed with more than 82 percent of the vote, the Outdoor Stewardship Act is intended to “promote stewardship for state parks, state lands and wildlife management areas, support local parks and trails and protect critical conservation land.”

Invoking references to the upcoming Super Bowl, the Atlanta United MLS Champions, the Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry, and some inside baseball lingo, speakers at the 2019 Georgia Chamber’s “Eggs and Issues Breakfast” emphasized the need for teamwork and partnerships as the General Assembly convenes.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today that 2018 was another banner year for Georgia with increases in jobs, work force and employed residents. The unemployment rate, Butler noted, fell nearly a full point over the year. Month to month, communities all across the state routinely set records.

In a few years, Georgia oysters may earn a spot next to Georgia peaches, peanuts, Vidalia onions, and shrimp as one of the state’s official foods and crops.The science of aquaculture for cultivating and harvesting oysters adds another aspect to the term “farm-to-table,” as the state oyster farming industry foresees a significant revivification of what was once a thriving business during the early decades of the previous century.

Board of Regents Chairman Don L. Waters and University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Steve Wrigley today announced Dr. Kyle Marrero as the finalist for president of Georgia Southern University. Marrero currently serves as president of the University of West Georgia, a position he’s held since 2013.

You work hard to earn a living. You saved diligently for a down payment and bought a house. You're saving consistently for retirement, but that seems to be a long way off. Now, it's time to save for something fun.

Instead of starting a diet or taking up a new hobby, 48 of Georgia’s brightest young professionals will celebrate the beginning of 2019 by kicking off an ambitious new project in Monroe, GA. As part of the Young Gamechangers program they will research the area’s industries, explore natural resources, gather historical data, and meet with business and community leaders.

Leadership Southeast Georgia has announced the election of its 2019 board of directors that will include Lee Beckmann, of the Georgia Ports Authority, as its chair and Brynn Grant, of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, as vice chair.

The United States is often considered the most generous country in the world. Why? Because Americans donate a lot of money. Its people, its foundations and its companies donated roughly $410 billion in 2017 -- or about 2.1% of its own GDP. In fact, the amount Americans donated was more than the entire GDP of all but about 40 countries in the world.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today that Georgia set a new record in November for total jobs as the state’s unemployment rate continued to fall. Georgia, Butler noted, has added nearly 100,000 jobs over the past year. Its unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest rate since January 2001. Labor force and employed residents are also up over the past 12 months.

More than 200 members of the Georgia General Assembly attended policy presentations at the 31st Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators, coordinated by the Institute of Government to help lawmakers prepare for the next legislative cycle.

Nearly 140 newly elected county commissioners gained critical knowledge of government operations and management during a four-day training session coordinated by the Institute of Government in partnership with ACCG, Georgia’s County Association.

National Returns Day is expected to occur prior to Christmas, reflecting just how deeply e-commerce is reshaping the retail universe, according to UPS. Consumers who got a jump on online shopping in the days before Black Friday are expected to begin returning more than 1 million packages each day in December, jumpstarting the holiday returns season earlier than ever.

It’s that time of the year again when some people will argue about the meaning of Christmas, others will be guilted into gift-giving and some will claim commercialization has ruined the holiday altogether.
But then there’s Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent, a pop culture scholar, who says the root of these external and internal conflicts actually lies in the creation of our modern celebration of Christmas.

Georgia Power announced the latest progress on its plan to safely close all 29 ash ponds at 11 active and retired coal-fired power plant sites across the state. The company is in the process of completely excavating 19 ash ponds located adjacent to lakes or rivers with the remaining 10 being closed in place using advanced engineering methods and closure technologies.

Get the Daily Savannah CEO Briefing

The Savannah CEO Briefing is a daily email newsletter that contains the day’s top business news headlines and a summary of each day’s feature. Subscribe Today.

About Savannah CEO

Savannah CEO is a daily publication that focuses exclusively on business issues in Savannah. We invite you to learn more about how to expose your business to others in the community. Contact us today to receive more information about editorial, video and promotional exposure at Savannah CEO.